The Rebel
by breathe. smile. laugh
Summary: The Marauders are an elite group of deadly assassins, poised, cunning, dangerous. Their target? One red-headed, green-eyed fighter with a grudge.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Have fun reading! I know I had fun writing this!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.**

**The Rebel**

Lily Evans pants, brushing a strand of crimson hair away from her eyes.

Damn.

She knew she should've listened to Petunia when her sister told her to tie her hair back.

She chances a glance behind her, a hint of a smile flitting across her features. 'Hello, boys.'

'How did you –,'

'Please, you guys sound like elephants,' Lily scoffs. 'You call that moving stealthily? Oh, I pity Mors. What kind of guards are you?'

Hurt and shock etched on their faces, the guards swarm out, surrounding her quickly. One guard steps up to her, cautiously, and begins, 'We can do this the easy way ... or the hard way –,'

'Fight or surrender, yadda, yadda,' Lily waves a hand vaguely. 'I've been through this before.'

She grins darkly. 'Now, who's first to get beaten by a girl?'

The guards glance at each other, raising eyebrows in derision. Lily feels her face darken – _not another pair of idiots_ – and she glares at them, smile switched off. 'What – you think a girl like me can't beat idiotic guys like you?'

'Well, yeah,' the first guard blurted out.

'Chauvinist pigs.'

With those words, Lily launches herself into the fight, snap-kicking a guard in his face, knocking another one clean unconscious. Before long, she's eliminated them all, but one. Feeling a grim smile making itself known on her face, Lily allows her emerald eyes to burn unflinchingly at the guard, who she, absentmindedly, realises was the first guard to speak. She tilts her head, raising her eyebrows questioningly.

'Well, we can do this the easy way ... or the hard way. Which do you prefer?' Lily smiles brightly, her eyes cold.

The guard gazes at her in shock, unable to speak. He glances around him, at his fellow guards and looks back up at her, mouth opening and closing.

'I'm not here to do fish impressions,' Lily snaps, impatiently. She glances at her watch. Crap. It's already nine – Petunia's going to _kill_ her. 'I'm on a time limit, so do me a favour and knock yourself out. Literally.'

The guard doesn't do anything.

'Fine, I'll do it for you,' Lily gives a grim smile, before delivering a smooth, swift punch to his head, which knocked him out cold. She rolls her eyes, as the guard slid to the floor, unconscious, against her legs. Kicking him away discourteously, Lily pulls out her iPhone and dials a number, simultaneously sliding swiftly away.

She puts the phone to her ear, using her shoulder to hold it, whilst jabbing in numbers for the code of the safe. A while later, a small click sounds, indicating that Lily had broken in, without any alarm. Lily grins, heart beating wildly, relishing in the thrill, the _risk_.

Because that was what it came to.

Sure, she did this for revenge. But she also did it for _fun_. She loves the adventure, the adrenaline racing through her, her heart thumping violently, the endless _danger_ of her getting caught.

'Lily?'

'Hey, Petunia! How you doing?' Lily says cheerfully, loading the money into a van she'd stolen from a guard that was now in the Land of Nod.

'Lily, it's nine o'clock! I told you –,'

'To come home at eight. Yeah, yeah, I know. But complications arose, difficulties occurred, and I had to get myself out of some unforeseen obstacles.'

'Are you okay?'

'Yes, Petunia. Apart from a broken leg, and blood pouring down my head, I'm perfectly fine.'

'Oh my god, oh my god! You've got a broken leg – wait, Lily, are you joking?' Petunia's voice is laced with suspicion.

'Petunia! How could you think that of me?' Lily pretends to act shocked. 'Your dear little sister is dying and you accuse her of _joking_?'

'Lily?'

'Fine, I was joking,' Lily rolls her eyes, grinning. She locks the van doors, and gets inside, turning the key on the ignition. Lily thrusts off her mask, stuffing it carelessly in her coat pocket.

'Whose car did you steal this time?' Petunia sighs.

'It's alright. It's one of Mors', not some random person off the street, Petunia.'

'Good. Make sure you get home soon,' Petunia can't keep the worry out of her voice.

'I'm on the road right now,' Lily assures her sister. 'And I think I just left the door to the bank open. Oopsy!' Lily grins, not feeling guilty in the slightest.

'Lily!' scolds Petunia, but she couldn't help but let out a small giggle, either.

'Alright, bye!' Lily cuts the call, sliding the phone into her pocket. She sighs, already missing the excitement.

Oh, how she _wished_ to be there when Arctus Mors – may he rot in hell – found out that she, Lily Evans, had broken into his bank and taken all of his money. Only _his_ money, mind. She had been very clear about that.

It was a direct hit at Mors, and Mors only.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.**

.

James Potter is bored out of his mind. He is lying, slumped, on the sofa, legs dangling lazily, when Sirius Black enters and smacks him with a rolled up newspaper. Recoiling, James rubs his head and growls, 'What was that for?'

'Nothing, really,' Sirius grins, ducking as James throws a pillow at him. He tuts, waggling his finger, a stern expression on his face. 'Ah, ah, ah, temper, temper!'

'Padfoot, stop goading Prongs, already,' Remus Lupin comes in, although he was unable to suppress a smile. 'It's twelve o'clock at night, aren't you going to bed?'

'There'll be no talk of going to bed,' Peter Pettigrew waves a letter, eyes lighting up. 'We have a new target.'

His words inpire a change. All three men immediately straighten, alert, tense, excited. The atmosphere is thick with anticipation.

'Who is it?' James asks, taking charge, hazel eyes attentive, standing up.

'Indigo Stell,' Peter replies promptly, giving James the letter.

'Stell ... I've heard of him,' Remus says thoughtfully.

James doesn't say anything, his eyes scanning the letter, reading it carefully. He glances up after a few minutes, and says, his voice becoming more controlled and brisk, 'Stell's against Mors, and he's been voicing a few loud opinions that Mors's ... torture methods aren't very humane. Mors wants him eliminated. It's a one night job. Stell's going to be in his home, which isn't even guarded properly, and he's given his servants the night off, so we'll be able to get in easily. He lives in the countryside, which means a long ride, but it also means that hardly anybody will be able to hear.'

Sirius nods, digesting the information and says, 'I'll go pack.'

Remus stands up, muttering, 'I'll search him up, find out exactly where his house is, how it's built ...'

Peter looks at James and says, 'I'll tell Mors it's happening tonight.'

James inclines his head towards his friends, but he is more focused on the letter. Mors always has his orders clipped, short, precise. As if they are dogs, ready to sit, stand, fetch a stick. James resists snorting and goes into Sirius's room, where Sirius is packing the equipment.

'Do you think we'll need a bomb?' Sirius asks, eyebrows raised as he held the bomb, throwing it up and catching it carelessly.

James's arm shoots out, instantly plucking the bomb from the air and he says, 'Do you really think it wise – when Wormtail's going to be near?'

'I heard my name!' Peter calls from the other room. 'And, I'm telling you, if you guys are planning to drop another spider down my neck, like you did last time, you guys are going to die!'

'Of course, Wormtail!' Sirius rolls his eyes sarcastically.

'And I'm not joking!'

'We believe you!' Sirius' voice is laced with disdain.

'Stop arguing,' Remus calls. 'I'm trying to read!'

'You're such a bore, Moony,' Sirius calls back.

Half an hour later, the Marauders are ready to go. That was what they were called.

The Marauders – an elite group of deadly _assassins_, poised, cunning, dangerous.

Hired by Arctus Mors, a powerful businessman who had many enemies, they were often called to remove his rivals. They were the best.

James Potter. Sirius Black. Remus Lupin. And Peter Pettigrew. Names and people to be feared.

James is the leader, cool and calm in a crisis, barking instructions easily. He has hazel eyes that flashed with intelligence, and his dark hair and lean, muscled body can melt into the shadows effortlessly. He has the best reflexes, the wit, the looks, everything. His aim is extraordinary and he can hit a moving target from more than fifty metres away.

Sirius is the guy with the guns. He can often be depended upon to pack the necessary weapons, and is in the same league as James. He has shaggy, black hair that often falls into his dark eyes and is quite tall, taller than James in fact. He is more muscled than anybody in the group and unlike the others, he is more used to fighting, than using guns.

Remus is the brains. His grey eyes often flits around, carefully, absorbing information for later use. He has dark hair, as well, and uses his brains to figure out ways to do away with the victim. He is lean, but not so muscled as James or Sirius, preferring to use his brains to fight, rather than his body.

Peter is the all-round, can-do guy. He is a marvel with a gun, and is, like James, very calm in an emergency. He is quite short, but what he lacked in height, he makes up for in skill. Whatever order James barks, Peter can always be counted on to follow it up easily.

The four Marauders are secretive, deadly. They have never been caught, not once.

.

.

'I want to drive,' Sirius calls out, as he loads up the car.

'You drove, last time,' Remus says, giving James information. 'James, Stell lives in a pretty big house. We're talking basement, attics, loads of rooms. But it's pretty easy to get into, he's got – can you believe it? – a secret door to the kitchens. It's around the back, but small, so we're going to have to crawl.'

'Good,' James nods, filing the information away. He glances up at Sirius. 'No, Padfoot, you can't drive. Remember what happened last time?'

'You drove us into a ditch and we almost got caught by the police,' Peter fills in. He turns to James. 'Mors says to – and I quote – 'go get him'.'

The Marauders rolls their eyes. Sometimes Mors can be embarrassing.

'Come on, let's go,' James says briskly.

Sirius opens his mouth, but Remus says quickly, 'I'll drive, shall I?'

'But you're so _slow_!' Sirius protests.

James frowns. Sirius _has_ a point. He makes up his mind. 'Padfoot, you're driving.'

Sirius grins wickedly. 'Excellent.'

In the car, James, Remus and Peter simultaneously check their seatbelts.

.

.

Sirius gets in, and wrenches the steering wheel, driving recklessly out of the driveway. He knocks over a garden gnome, making Peter bite his lip anxiously.

Within minutes, they are on the motorway, and Sirius looks over his shoulder. 'Where is it we're going, Moony?'

'Willow Hill,' Remus answers shortly, before getting his knee banged against the car door. He hisses in pain.

'And keep your eyes on the road!' Peter scolds, as Sirius almost knocks him out.

'Sirius, watch out!' James lunges for the wheel, swerving suddenly, as the girl in the van turns sharply, almost overturning the van.

There is a loud, awkward crunching noise and then silence.

'I didn't do anything!' Sirius denies, his hands up.

James is already getting out of the car, going over to the girl. 'Are you ok?'

'I nearly _died_, do I look ok?' the girl snaps sarcastically. She gets out of the van, glancing over it critically. A smirk plants itself on her features, as she notes the dents and slashes on the van. 'Brilliant! Thanks!'

James stares at her. Is she serious? He opens his mouth and then closes it, eyes fixed on her fiery red hair. He's never seen hair _that_ red before.

'You know, that's the second time this night, someone's showed me a fish impression,' the girl remarks.

'So – so you're ok?' James asks.

The girl looks over her arms and grins, green eyes sparkling. 'Yup, I'm perfectly fine.'

'I – ok. I'm really sorry – I'd better get going,' James backs away, diving into the car. He glances at his friends, who are rubbing at their bruises, and says, 'That was one weird girl.'


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.**

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'Get me my coffee and my breakfast, Sylva, now!' Arctus Mors orders, as he goes into his office.

'Yes, Mr Mors,' Sylva nods, ceasing filing her nails. She runs a hand through her silvery sheet of fine hair, and says, 'I'll get Nyx to give it, Mr Mors.'

'Yes, yes, whatever,' Arctus waves an absentminded hand towards her. He couldn't care less who gives him his breakfast, as long as it is fast and delicious. 'And don't forget my newspaper!'

'Of course not, Mr Mors.' Sylva looks thoughtful and then calls, 'Wait, Mr Mors! I almost forgot – the Marauders left a message, last night.'

Arctus freezes, his hand on the handle. 'What did they say?' he says in a calm voice. Inside, his heart is pounding excitedly. If Stell is gone...

'They said they'd done everything you asked of them, and that your present for your nephew is in the office,' Sylva smiles at him. 'I didn't know you had a nephew, Mr Mors. Say happy birthday to him, for me, would you?'

Sylva Belle looks like an angel. Literally. She has fine blonde hair that slid past her shoulders and wide blue eyes that makes her look innocent. However, her clothes were often ... revealing and short, unlike the average angel. Her face is soft, and she is quite shallow, often finding happiness in magazines and shops.

Arctus rolls his eyes at his receptionist, moving inside his office impatiently. He strides to the table, picking up the parcel and rips it open. There is a picture and one word. Indigo Stell smiling with _**ELIMINATED**_sprawled all over him.

_Another opponent removed._

Arctus relaxes, glancing around his office. He likes his office. It is dark – like him – and smooth. The tables are a transparent black, reflecting his own face back at him. Sinking into his soft, comfy black chair, Arctus sighs, spinning around to face his huge ceiling-to-floor window that gazes over the entire city. He keeps his windows polished so hard he could see his reflection shining back at him.

Everything is perfect.

With neat brown hair and dark soulless eyes, Arctus is, no doubt, a lean, mean, businessman. He is slightly plump in the cheeks, a result of his frequent parties and balls. He is a very popular man and has all the right connections. He is quite tall and muscled – there's no excuse for an criminal businessman to get fat, he thinks –, and has a high forehead that often creases in fury.

There is a knock at the door and Arctus spins around to face the room again. 'Come in,' he commands.

Nyx Belle enters, balancing a tray effortlessly. She slides in the room, gracefully and gives a grim nod. Her dark hair – so unlike her sister's – is cropped short, hanging slightly past her shoulders and her eyes are jet black, dark and silent. She is the only reason Arctus still employs her sister. Dropping the tray onto Arctus's table, she says, 'You're not going to like this,' before handing him the newspaper.

She plops herself down on the chair across Arctus' desk, crossing her long legs.

Arctus glances at her, taking the newspaper.

Did she cut her hair again? It looks nice.

Getting a grip on himself, Arctus tears his eyes away from Nyx and reads the newspaper.

If Nyx doesn't like something, chances are Arctus won't like it either. And he doesn't.

_STRIKE AT MORS?_

_Sources say that popular businessman Arctus Mors's bank account in Willow Hill has been stripped completely of the thousands of pounds our favourite businessman had. The burglary was performed yesterday at midnight, and according to a very good source, more than five of the guards were knocked out easily. We –_

Arctus crumples up the newspaper angrily, throwing it away. With one furious roar, he sweeps across his desk, sending papers flying. _'Who was it?_'

Nyx doesn't look fazed by his anger. She is the only one who is never scared of him. 'We don't know. The guards have been questioned, but they can only say that it was a girl who called them chauvinist pigs. They don't know how she looks like, or anything.'

_'Fire them!'_

'Done.'

Nyx sits there, calmly, observing her black nails, as her boss continues to roar with anger, tearing apart his office. He turns on her with a feral snarl, after he's overturned his chair, used a pair of gleaming scissors to slash apart his sofas and thrown every single thing he can find out of the window.

_'Well, don't just stand there, Nyx! Do something! Now!'_ Arctus shouts furiously. His fury dries up, as he realises Nyx is unaffected by his rage, and suddenly feels slightly embarrassed.

'All done?' Nyx raises an eyebrow, as if talking to a baby.

Gritting his teeth, Arctus nods stiffly, his cheeks pink. Nyx stands up, briskly. 'Good. Now, what do you plan on doing about it?'

'I'll get the Marauders on to it. That – _girl_,' here, Arctus sneers, 'won't know what hit her.'


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.**

.

'No, no, no, no!' Lily runs a hand through her hair, tiredly. 'It's like this!' she takes the gun off Petunia and holds it firmly, pointing it at the dartboard.

'But why can't I hold it like this?' Petunia snatches the gun back and pointed it up at the sky, grinning. 'I feel like a spy!'

Lily rolls her eyes at her sister. 'Keep dreaming, Tuney. No spy service will ever want to take _us_ in.'

Petunia gives a snort. 'You got that right.'

Glancing at her watch, Lily mutters, 'Damn it!'

'What is it?'

'I'm late for work,' Lily rolls her eyes, grabbing her coat. She thrusts it on, and waving a quick bye to Petunia, gets into the car.

Driving quickly out of the countryside and into the city, Lily muses thoughtfully. She hates her job, but it is a necessity. She and Petunia have to keep up appearances throughout the small, sleepy village of Willow Hill. Of course, after last night's heist, they have enough money to last them several lifetimes. Lily's lips curve into a grim smile, as she imagines Mors' wrath.

Arctus Mors ... how she hated him.

.

.

She was only seventeen when she'd lost both of her parents.

Mr and Mrs Evans absolutely doted on Petunia. But, sadly for Lily, their affection fell away when it came to Lily. Birthdays, Christmas, even Easter eggs, every present they gave Lily was a whole lot smaller than whatever they'd given Petunia. Petunia would come home, shining with medals, Lily would come home, shining with trophies, yet it would always be Petunia who they turned to. That fateful night ... August thirteenth ... Lily would remember it forever.

.

.

Thrilled with her black belt in karate, Lily had entered her home, wishing desperately for her parents' praise. She got much more than that.

Arctus Mors was a businessman, but, four years ago, he wasn't very powerful. Not like now. He'd been threatening to buy Lily's parents' mansion for ages. Yet, nobody took his threats very seriously. A skinny, lanky man who made the worst decisions for his family's business? Who would believe him? But one day, he did. He bought Lily's mansion, the Evans Manor, the house that had been in the Evans household for centuries. Lily had heard her parents fretting about it, but, with studies and trying to please her parents; it had been pushed to the back of her mind. That was a mistake.

Lily had bounded inside, face lit up with excitement. She'd gone directly into the living room, hearing voices, skidding to a stop, the happiness sliding away. There was Mors, holding up a gun, pointing it straight at Lily's parents.

Mr and Mrs Evans were pleading, begging. But, no, Mors laughed, and pressed the trigger. Of course, he hadn't thought of Lily. She rushed in, pushing him to the side, so the bullet ricocheted around the room, before firmly planting itself in her mother's arm. Her father glared at her accusingly, before turning away, tending to his wife's pleas.

Mors was dazed, but managed to push away the slender seventeen year old, fumbling for the gun. But Lily had got there first. She pushed away her dazzlingly red hair from her burning green eyes, glaring at Mors. The gun fitted smoothly into her hand, making Lily feel _whole_. She aimed the gun at Mors, tilting it, very seriously. But then, just as she was about to press the trigger –

'Maria!' her father cried out in alarm, startling Lily.

Mors took his chance. He surged forwards, batting the gun out of Lily's hand, snapping her attention back to him. Narrowing her eyes at him, Lily and Mors looked at each other and then at the gun. Instantly, both of them coursed forwards, hands out, trying to grab the gun. Mors won, panting heavily, clutching at the gun clumsily. But Lily was already distracted; her father had yelled that her mother had died of blood loss, and she was wavering between two choices.

Shooting twice, once at Lily's father, another at Lily, Mors let out a bark of triumphant laughter, before rushing outside. He'd already poured oil around the house and grinning like a maniac, lit the match, throwing it at the house.

Lily had ducked, instantly, dodging the bullet. But her father wasn't so lucky. The bullet lodged itself in his heart, and with the last of his breath, he murmured, 'Tell – Tuney –,'

Percy Evans slumped over his dead wife, both of them deathly cold. Lily glanced around, frantically, inhaling smoke. She took one last, sad look at her parents, and shot out of the house, coughing, thrusting the doors open.

Knees buckling, Lily fell to the floor, coughing violently, tears swimming in her eyes, breathing in fresh air. She turned around, shaking, still sitting, and watched her house burn, arms wrapped around herself tightly.

Lily had been that way for half an hour, only moving to call Petunia, who sped over in a heartbeat. She didn't flinch, when Petunia yelled at her, accused her, screamed with grief. But she did go over and embrace Petunia when the older girl started sobbing silently. Sitting there, watching her house go up in flames, soothing her older sister, Lily made a promise to herself.

_Arctus Mors was going to pay._

.

.

Jolting herself out of the memory, Lily stops the cars, with a screech of the brakes. Pulling a face at the angry yells of fist-waving drivers, Lily steps out. 'I can take you any day!' she mutters, glaring at a red-faced, plump man who reminds her strongly of Arctus.

'You're late.'

'I know, I know,' Lily says carelessly. She moves to go in through the double doors, but stops, narrowing her eyes at Opal, the stuck-up receptionist. 'What, no lecture today?'

Opal shakes her head, smirking. 'You're going to get fired.'

'You say that every month,' Lily tells her. Opal is annoying, to say the least.

Every month, she predicts Lily's sacking.

Every month, she is wrong.

Lily nods at Opal distractedly. Her mind is at work, yet again, whirring at top speed, planning a way to get back at Mors.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.**

**.**

James runs a hand through his hair, tiredly. He can't get the girl from last night out of his mind. Not for the first time, he wants Mors to call for another target.

'What are you doing, Prongs?' Peter asks, frowning slightly.

'He's pining for his long lost love,' Sirius replies, grinning. 'Leave him to drown in his sorrows in peace, Wormtail.'

'Long lost love?' Peter asks, raising an eyebrow.

'The girl Sirius nearly killed last night,' Remus supplies.

Sirius knocks on James's head. 'Hello?' he calls. 'Anybody home?'

Batting away Sirius's hand, James mumbles something.

Sirius playfully cups a hand behind one ear and pretends to listen. 'What's that? I can't hear you, mate.'

But anything James said is lost, in the sudden ring of his phone. Something about the ring screams urgency, and James leaps for it, not bothering to see the caller ID. Half expecting it to be the girl, James says, 'Hello?'

'Potter. Excellent. I have a new target.'

'Already?'

'Are you _questioning_ me?'

James rolls his eyes, knowing that his fellow Marauders were doing the same. 'Of course not,' he lies smoothly.

'Good. I don't have the name, exactly. It's in the forest, in Willow Hill. You can't miss it. It's a house.'

'A house?' James frowns, rubbing his forehead tiredly. 'The usual?'

'What's the usual?' Mors asks blankly.

Sirius sticks his tongue out at the phone and James rolls his eyes again, before answering, 'Would you like us to turn the place over, or blow it up?'

'Blow it up.'

'Got it.'

'Seriously. I want to see flames, smoke, everything.'

'That's what you usually get when you blow something up.'

'Are you _mocking_ me?'

'No, of course not.'

Mors cuts the call, apparently not even bothering to threaten James. James looks up, the familiar glint back in his eye. 'Well, boys, looks like we're going back to Willow Hill.'

.

.

'You look too happy,' Remus remarks, narrowing his eyes.

'He probably thinks he's going to see the girl again,' Sirius rolls his eyes. He claps James in the back with unnecessary force, making James start forwards, startled. 'Mate, you have got to stop pining after this girl. Take a little advice from Padfoot.'

James glances up, frowning. 'I don't want your advice.'

'Trust me. You do,' Sirius ignores James's protests and continues, brutally, 'You are never going to see this girl again. You will never see her flaming – did you say? – red hair and god help me, _burning_ green eyes ever again! Because if you do, then, by god, it is a small world. Got it?'

Blinking, James stands up. 'I'm going to pretend I didn't hear your ever-so helpful advice, and so I will be waiting in the car. _This_ time, you can get the bomb.'

Half an hour later, they were in Willow Hill, in the forest, skilful eyes fixed on the house in question. It is a nice house, James thinks distractedly. Big and magnificent, it seems to _fit_ in, with the trees, almost camouflaged with the dark.

'Right,' James points quickly. 'Remus, over there. Sirius, you'll be up there. And Wormtail, you'll be behind – that bit with the glass. I'll be in the front. The bomb's in there –,'

Suddenly, James's phone rings, disrupting the forest life, making the Marauders groan. James slips out his phone in one movement, knowing exactly who it was. 'Mr Mors?'

'I've found out who it is – you have to wait – I mean, you –,'

'Mr Mors, calm down,' James has never heard Mors act so excited before. He frowns, wonderingly. 'Start from the beginning.'

'It's a girl – _the_ girl. The house. You need to kill her. I mean – there's a target. A girl. I think there are two girls. Make sure none of them get out alive. Blow up the house, remove every trace. Potter, I want you to shoot the girls. First shoot them, and then blow up the house. You do that, and your salary will be doubled – no, _quadrupled_. Understand?'

'Got it, sir,' James nods, as if Mors is actually there. This time, he cuts the call. Looking at his fellow Marauders, James begins again, briskly, 'Change of plan. The bomb's not activated, is it?'

Sirius shakes his head, seeming to realise that this was a very serious job. He doesn't even crack a joke.

'Good. We need to shoot the targets, first. Two girls, Mors said. I don't think he knows how they look like, but we'll just have to wing it. He promised that our salary would be quadrupled, if we pulled this off,' James says efficiently. He isn't intrigued by money, unlike Sirius, but _four million pounds_ did sound rather ... _tempting_.

'Four million pounds?' Sirius whispers.

'Yes, Padfoot, you'll _finally_ be able to go to Hawaii,' Peter says, rolling his eyes, making an attempt to break the tension.

It works. The Marauders laugh.

James stops laughing first.

'Right. You know where you're going, right? Peter, I want you to shoot first. You see them, remember to wait, so they feel relaxed, and then strike,' James instructs. 'Go.'

The Marauders slide away, to their assigned places, blending in effortlessly with the forest.

James puts on his hat – his lucky hat – and eyes fixed on the front of the house, he presses his body to the forest floor. Waiting.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.**

.

Lily arrives home quickly, making sure she brushed the dirt off her jeans carefully. Not that she cares, of course, but Petunia makes _such_ a fuss. She locks the car and runs up the steps to the house, her red hair flying out behind her. Not bothering to get her keys, Lily knocks on the door sharply. The job was done, she thought grinning. She's finally done it. She's finally _blown up_ one of Mors's many banks.

'Lily, how many times do I have to tell you to get your keys out?' she can hear Petunia scold as she opened the door.

Lily rolls her eyes good-naturedly, as she makes her way in. 'Couldn't be bothered. I'm so tired, Tuney,' the use of Petunia's old nickname always mellows Petunia. She makes big eyes at Petunia and asks, 'Is there anything to eat?'

.

.

After getting food for Lily, Petunia asks the question that has been bugging her ever since Lily had set foot in the house. 'So? How did it go? You didn't get hurt, did you?'

'Of course not,' Lily rolls her eyes again, leaving her fork clattering to her plate. 'It went fine. I blew the place up, ka-boom!' she claps her hands together, grinning.

'Eat,' Petunia suddenly tells her, eyes narrowing. 'You look like the living dead.'

'I'm fine,' Lily insists.

Suddenly, Petunia looks stern. 'Lily Evans, is that _rubble_?'

'Err ... maybe?' Lily looks sheepish, as she glances up at her older sister.

'I told you _a million times_ how hard it is for me to clean your jeans –,'

'It's not my fault –,'

'It never is –,'

'_You_ try blowing up a bloody underground bank and not getting any dirt on your clothes –,'

'I'm sure if I tried, I'd do it much better than you –,'

'For some reason, I _really_ doubt –,'

'Lily, you're always mucking up your clothes; it's really hard for me –,'

'And it's really hard for me, too –,'

'_Why aren't you eating?_' Petunia suddenly snaps, eyes falling to Lily's hands.

Lily flusters – only her sister could make her lose control this way. Not that she minds, for some reason. Only her sister can see the real Lily. She groans inwardly, before picking up her fork and pushing food into her mouth. 'I _am_ eating! Who said I wasn't eating? See, Tuney, I am so eating –,'

Petunia bursts into laughter, the strictness falling away like water. Lily grins up at her, both girls laughing as though they didn't have any problems weighing them down, as if they were free, free of all the worries and concerns. Finally, Petunia sobers up, pushing her chair out and standing up. She stifles a yawn. 'I'm going to bed. Make sure you finish eating.'

'Fine, fine,' Lily says distractedly, glancing around. Her eyes narrow slightly, but other than that, she looks calm and relaxed. 'I'll check up on the house …'

Petunia gives a small sigh and then retreats upstairs. As soon as she hears Petunia's door shut, Lily drops her knife and fork and stands up, eyes narrowed. She glances around suspiciously, eyes raking the living room.

Oh, crap.

'Petunia!' Lily yells abruptly. Petunia wasn't like Lily; she wasn't used to the stakeouts, the exhilaration, like Lily. She'd freak, if Lily tells her that they were being watched. Lily has to protect her.

'What?' Petunia calls, sounding sleepy.

'Where's the salad?' Lily shouts, sounding casual. 'I can't find it!' she pretends to rummage in the fridge, making more noise than necessary.

'In the – oh, fine! I'm coming down!' Petunia stomps downstairs, looking very angry as she wraps her dressing gown around herself.

Instantly, as Lily straightens, she catches sight of the bullet that is hurtling towards her sister. She doesn't say anything, just leaps at her sister, pushing her out of harm's way. Petunia falls against the sofa, and she lets out a small scream as the bullet plants itself inside the wall. Lily thrusts herself against the sofa, grabbing Petunia as she did so. Bewildered and confused, Petunia becomes lighter than ever so it was easy for Lily to press them both against the sofa.

_Mors had found them._

Eyes flashing with anger, Lily rips open the floorboard, breathing out slightly as her eyes fall on the gun that is hidden quietly under the floorboards. She grabs it, her hands a blur as she quickly fits together her own gun. The handle slides in her hand, perfectly as if it had been made for her. Petunia stays quiet, occasionally letting out small whimpers as she grabs Lily's hand, squeezing it tightly.

'Lily, what's going on?'

Lily doesn't answer, brushing her hair out of her eyes. She whispers, 'Petunia, we're going for the car. You get in there, first. If I'm not there in ten seconds, you will get the hell out of here. Do you understand?'

'Lily, I'm not leaving you –,'

'_Do you understand_?' Lily's voice is an urgent hiss, demanding Petunia to realise what was at stake here.

Petunia still looks stubborn, and she shakes her head. 'No, Lily –,'

'You will get in that bloody car, Petunia,' Lily insists, still hissing desperately. '_Tuney_.'

The revival of her old nickname does it.

Petunia takes a deep breath and she nods, looking fearful. Lily allows herself to relax very slightly, and then instantly she is back to being cold Lily, dangerous Lily.

Mors was trying to take them both down. It was okay if it was just Lily, but _nobody went after her sister._

'I'm going to go for the door,' Lily tells her sister. 'You follow me, stay behind me at all times.'

Petunia nods, face pale. Lily doesn't hesitate, throwing herself in the spotlight, allowing Petunia to slide behind her. And the assassins don't hesitate either, immediately shooting at her, the bullets smashing the glass. Lily grits her teeth and eyes narrowed; she spots a slight movement in the forest. Without delay, she fires off a dozen bullets, allowing herself a small smirk as she hears various noises of pain. There is more than one, she realises, unsurprised.

Thrusting the door open, Lily nods to Petunia who is looking slightly stunned, and goes out, first. The wind roars furiously, blowing Lily's hair away from her face, allowing her to see properly. Lily spins around, eyes raking the forest for any sign of an assassin. When there is none, she quickly beckons to Petunia to come out. Somewhere amidst the cool composure, a small stab of confusion hits her shield. Why, if there is more than one, would they not be placed all around the house? It's what she would have done.

Lily wrenches the car door open, making sure Petunia goes inside quickly and she stiffens, suddenly realising that she wasn't alone. Gun in hand; Lily glances around, spotting a shifting in the forest. She instantly shoots at the movement, breathing out as the person falls back with a groan. Throwing herself inside the car, Lily slides the gun into her compartment, and locks the doors. She glances at Petunia who has seated herself in the passenger seat, automatically belting herself in and says, calmly, 'Okay, Tuney?'

Petunia gives a small nod, breathing out in relief as her eyes fall on her younger sister who is so obviously all right. Lily gives a small grin, adrenalin coursing through her veins; she is literally bouncing. Petunia glances at her and she says in a somewhat shaky attempt at humour, 'You'd better stay still, or you'll drive us into a tree.'

'I'm a much better driver than you make me out to be,' Lily says sounding indignant, as she drove out of the forest. Petunia grins.

'You say that as if, last week, you _didn't_ crash the last car we had into that old factory.'

'I didn't crash it – it – went slightly out of control.'

'Right … that's not what the police officer said.'

'He was _such_ a nosy git … '

Petunia lets out a laugh, finally relaxing. Lily glances over at her, and gives a small smile.

'It's okay, Tuney,' she says softly. 'You're okay.'

'I – I wasn't worried about myself,' Petunia says immediately. 'I thought – I thought you were going to die.' Her voice cracks a little.

Lily lets out a bark of laughter. 'Never going to happen. I'll always be around to save us, Tuney. Don't worry.'

'What happened, anyway? Why did we suddenly get assassins trying to kill us?' Petunia asks. Lily turns to look at Petunia. _'Keep your eyes on the road_!'

'Fine, fine ... Mors found us,' Lily answers, grumbling a little. She wrenches the steering wheel, parking the car easily into a spot.

'_What_?'

'It was only a matter of time, Tuney, before he found out that I'm still alive. I mean,' Lily laughs, lifting her red hair. 'I'm not that hard to remember, am I?'

'But you – you were wearing your mask – the guards can't have seen you!' Petunia sounds panicked.

'Tuney, calm down,' Lily speaks in a soothing voice; she's had lots of practice stopping Petunia from having one of her hysterical fits. 'First of all, we need to get into this hotel. Second, I need a shower. Third, I'm really tired – and I'm guessing you're really tired, as well, so we should have a good nights' rest _and_ _then_ discuss this all.'

Lily gets out of the car, striding into the hotel. She doesn't look back – she doesn't need to. Petunia will always come. Sure enough, as Lily is talking to the receptionist, Petunia slides next to her, looking nervous, eyes flitting around.

'Thank you,' Lily takes the room key and tugs Petunia into the lift. She waits until the lift empties and the doors close, before saying, 'Petunia, you need to relax. You look like you're going to rob the Crown Jewels!' she giggles.

'Easy for _you_ to say, Lily – I've never been through this, before!' Petunia hisses.

'No need to whisper – contrary to popular belief, the walls do _not_ have ears,' Lily shakes her head at her sister's paranoia. She gets out of the lift, as the bell rings, striding confidently and purposefully.

Petunia scampers behind her, like a terrified mouse, almost zooming into the assigned hotel room. She glances around, her petrified expression sliding away, replacing itself with a comfortable look. 'This is ... nice.'

Lily nods, distractedly. She goes to explore in the other rooms and yells, 'This one's mine!'

Following Lily, Petunia scowls. 'No way! I want this room!'

'First come, first serve,' Lily leaps on to the bed, with a squeal of joy. She starts jumping and sticks her tongue out childishly at her older sister. 'You can have the other room.' She collapses on the bed and jerks a finger to said room.

Petunia rolls her eyes and goes inside. 'Oooh, this one's _much_ nicer!'

Frowning, Lily gets off the bed, going into the other room. 'What? No, it can't be; mine's nicer!'

'Ha! I got the nice one!' Petunia kicks off her shoes, leaping onto the bed.

'That's not fair!'

'First come, first serve! Right, Lily?'


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.**

.

_'What was that all about?'_

They were in the car, and the Marauders – apart from James – were furious.

James tries to look innocent. 'What was what all about?'

Sirius almost punches James, before Remus intervenes, pushing Sirius away. 'Peter, deal with him, would you?'

Peter nods very seriously, before knocking Sirius out cold, with the butt of his gun. Sirius falls forward, hitting his head on the wheel. Rolling his eyes, Peter yanks him back, so he rests lightly on the seat.

'James ... what happened?' Remus looks at James, steadily, his calm gaze boring into James.

James takes a deep breath. His friends will understand. He opens his mouth, and an image of red-haired, green-eyed girl seeps into his mind, distracting him completely. 'It – it was _her_.'

_'Who_?' Peter looks bewildered.

But Remus seems to understand, leaning back into his seat and rubbing his forehead tiredly. 'This can't be a coincidence...' he mutters, thoughtfully.

'She was just ... there! I couldn't do it – I just couldn't! Remus, you have to believe me!' Now that James has started, it seems impossible to stop. 'She actually _shot_ at me! She – shot at me! With a gun! A _gun_! But, luckily, I managed to duck, though my lucky hat got blown off. Not so lucky, any more, right?'

'She ... _shot_ at you?' Remus's eyes widen.

'Girls can be fighters, too, you know, Moony,' James says annoyingly, some of his old charm drifting back.

Remus rolls his eyes towards James, playfully, but his expression still resumes his composed thoughtfulness. 'Which means she poses a much larger threat to Mors than we expected.'

'And how did you figure that one out?' Peter asks.

'She had a _gun_, Wormtail. She's obviously doing something to upset Mors. And she's cunning. He didn't know who she was, at all,' James says thoughtfully. He breaks into a grin. 'Sly, clever _and_ hates Mors. Sounds like my kind of girl.'

Remus gives him a look. 'You're on _Mors'_ side, James. She'll obviously think of you as a threat, as well. And now that she's gotten away, she'll be more cautious and wary than ever.' He sighs, rubbing the crease out from his forehead. 'Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.'

'There was another girl,' Peter says, as if it should be obvious. 'Who was she? Why was she there? Are they related? Think about this, guys, we don't even know their names. We don't know anything about them. The only thing we do know is that she's a huge danger to Mors.'

James frowns. 'Peter, you're right. But I think we should head to a hotel somewhere, and plan our next move tomorrow. Get a good night's rest,' he says.

Remus looks at James and says meaningfully, '_And_ get our heads straight.'

'No, _you_ hang up!' Sirius mumbles in his sleep, flirtatiously.

The Marauders stare at each other, and then at Sirius, incredulously. 'Did he just –?' James can't even finish the sentence.

'Don't tell me you guys don't know Sirius talks in his sleep,' Peter rolls his eyes. 'Oh, I forgot, you don't, because I'm the one who has to sleep in the same room as this pig. He snores like a – a hippo – no offence to hippos, of course – and talks to various singers in his sleep.'

'Ooh, you cheeky monkey!' As if wanting to highlight Peter's point, Sirius bursts into giggles.

'Who wants to help me move him to the back?' James speaks up, choosing to ignore Sirius's words for the sake of his own sanity. His eyes suddenly glints with the promise of mischief. 'I can't wait to torture him with this! Anyone got a phone so I can record him?'

'Prongs, we can't do this to Sirius!' Remus scolds, but he can't suppress a smile. 'Even though, Padfoot does do all he can to annoy us, torture us, and nearly make us want to kill ourselves – you know what, I think I've got a phone on me!'

'Excellent,' James grins wickedly.

.

.

A half-hour later, James has checked into a hotel and is currently dragging up a protesting Sirius, an annoyed-to-death Remus, and a sleepy Peter up the hotel steps. Unfortunately for poor James, the lift is being used. Cursing the lift-user violently under his breath, James says in a forced encouraging voice, 'Come on, Padfoot – just a little bit more! Remus, help me, would you? Wormtail – you're going to fall!'

Remus leaps up two steps, and grabs Sirius's arm, swinging it over his shoulder, shouldering the weight with James. Peter yawns tiredly, grabbing on to the railings with the last of his dwindling strength.

James moans, 'I hate that lift user.'

'I'm sorry?' Remus lifts his eyebrows.

'The person who used the lift, so we couldn't use it,' James explains.

'Oh,' Remus rolls his eyes.

'Almost there,' James lets go of Sirius, leaving Remus to almost collapse under the weight, and thrusts the key into the hotel room. 'We're in!'

Peter lets out a sleepy whoop, going straight in and falling on the bed. Remus tugs in Sirius who had finally gone straight to sleep, murmuring sweet nothings. Remus shivers dramatically before, using James's help, tipping him over on a bed. Sirius's face is smothered by a pillow and Remus frowns, eyes narrowing.

'He'll suffocate,' Remus points out.

'Let him. Then we won't have to hear anything else about cheeky monkeys and whatnot,' James guffaws. But after a minute of chuckling, he tugs Sirius away, turning him over with difficulty.

.

.

A few minutes later, as James is comfortably drifting away to sleep, he is rudely awakened by a loud noise coming from next door. 'Padfoot, is that you?'

'You didn't!' Sirius giggles in his sleep, making James groan.

Another loud noise emerges. Groaning angrily, James gets up, thrusting on a shirt. With an unnecessary amount of force, he shoves the front door open and storms to the next door, banging on it loudly.

'What is wrong with _knocking_?'

A familiar mocking voice stirs James slightly, but he is too angry to let himself care. The door opens, and James opens his mouth to yell. What actually came out was, 'You – _gah_.'

'Excuse me?' the pretty _red-haired, green-eyed_ girl raises an eyebrow, innocently, as if she _isn't_ plotting against Mors. She frowns at James. 'Hey, I know you ...'

James' heart thumps unnaturally against his chest.

She is going to recognise him. She is going to kill him. She is probably going to produce a gun from that dark nightgown that hung so appealingly low at the knees –

'You're that fish guy!'

_Fish guy? _

James splutters. 'Excuse me?' he uses her words against her.

'The one who crashed into me the other night!' the girl explains. 'What's your name?'

'J-ohn. John Palmer. And you?'

'L-ucy. Lucy Edwards.'

'Right. Lucy,' James frowns inwardly. Lucy doesn't suit her. 'The noise – it – it's disturbing me.'

'What – you think I can direct helicopters?'

'I – _helicopters_?'

'Yes – helicopters. Big, winged machines that can fly.'

'I know what they are,' James suppresses a grin; she has a sense of humour. Brilliant.

'So now that you know what they are ...?' Lucy trails off meaningfully.

'What – oh! Yes, I'll get going!' James runs a hand through his hair, thankful that he wore a shirt with short sleeves. His muscles flex visibly, but Lucy seems not to notice. She flashes him a smile and then shuts the door.

'Yes, I'll get going?' James mutters, trudging back to his room. 'Nice work, Prongs. Real smooth.'

.

.

It is only when he's collapsed into his bed that he realises.

Next time they meet, he's going to have to _kill_ her...


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.**

.

The next morning, Lily is taking a shower, when she hears a scream.

_Petunia_, she thinks automatically, knowing Petunia isn't trying to trick her like she had before.

She tumbles out of the shower, thrusting on her clothes, fumbles for a spare gun and bursts out of the bathroom, red damp hair tumbling around her shoulders. She pulls up the gun, fingers on the trigger, ready to shoot –

'Ah, ah, ah!'

A hand comes out of nowhere, striking the gun from Lily's hands. Instantly, Lily ducks, lashing out a long leg to trip up her attacker. The swipe would have worked, had it not been for the fact that Lily has misinterpreted her invader.

There were _four_.

Crap.

'Guns are nasty things, what's a pretty girl like you doing with one?' the annoying voice turns out to be a dark, shaggy-haired, lean guy who instantly leaps on Lily's hands, keeping her barred.

But Lily isn't listening to him or even struggling. She has been finally shocked into silence.

Her attackers are placed all around her, the dark one keeping a tight hold on her wrists, another one pointing a gun at Lily and another aiming a gun at Petunia, who is being held by a dark-haired, lean, muscled guy who looks extremely familiar –

'You!' Lily bursts out, surprising the guy who was holding her.

The guy – John, was it? – looks startled, almost letting go of Petunia. He sets his face with determination and tightens his hold on Petunia and smirks. 'Ah, Lucy, right?'

Lily doesn't answer, feeling a sharp pang pierce her heart when Petunia lets out a terrified whimper. She shakes back her hair and glared at John, wishing inwardly that they were a little closer to the vase that was standing innocently on the table. She'd stashed a gun in it, in the morning and right now, her fingers itch to close around it and kill John.

'I bet that's not even your real name,' John whisper, eyes glittering with malice. He looked down at Petunia who shivers and his smirk grows even more pronounced. 'Your sister, I presume?'

'Let her go,' Lily snarls.

'Now, you see, Prongsie here, can't do that – ow, Remus, _what_?' the guy who is leaving red marks all over Lily's wrists scowls at – _Remus_, the guy who is directing the gun at Lily.

Lily smiles inwardly. Remus, she thinks. A name. It is all she had, but it is better than nothing.

'You can't tell her our names!' Remus hisses.

'And why not?'

'Because –,'

'Oh, Remus, you're so boring and so dull. My name, Luce – can I call you Luce?'

'No.'

'Luce, then. My name's Sirius Black. Padfoot.' Sirius winks at Lily who lets out a menacing growl. 'Ooh, I like 'em feisty!'

Lily raises a sceptical eyebrow, intimidating Sirius even though he is the one with the upper hand. 'Really?'

Sirius doesn't answer, glancing up to Remus. 'And this is Remus Lupin – Moony – but you already knew that. Unless you're boring and sleepy like Peter Pettigrew – Wormtail, we call him – and –,'

'Sirius,' John calls. 'Shut up.'

'Will do, James. James Potter. Prongs, by the way,' Sirius tells Lily.

Lily files the information away, silently infuriated that she's never heard of the names before. Who are they? What did they want?

'Were you guys the ones who shot at my house?' Lily asks bluntly.

Is it her – or does James look slightly guilty? Lily shakes the image away; he is _smirking_. Little git.

'Yes,' he answers swiftly.

'Well, you're not very good, are you?' Lily lets out a cynical laugh. 'Amateurs.'

'We're not amateurs!' Sirius protests, bringing up his gun and accidentally shooting instantly at the door. The bullet rebounds off the handle, clattering to the floor and Sirius looks sheepish. 'That was meant to happen.'

Fortunately though, Sirius has just handed Lily the distracted she needed. She swings a fist around, slamming Sirius in the face, sending him sprawling, unable to suppress the satisfaction it produced. Two gunshots ring out instantly, but Lily doesn't care where the bullets sink in. She leaps for her sister, instantaneously yanking Petunia away from that _James_ and – the vase! It is right there!

'Lily, I want to help –,' Petunia says furiously, as Lily's gaze turns to the men.

Sirius is yelling furiously and James has gone straight over to help him. Something inside Lily admires that. Brothers, she thinks vaguely, smashing a clenched fist into Peter's face. Peter stumbles back into Remus.

'Petunia, you can't help –,' Lily's eyes light up as she spies the vase. She turns to the room next to her – the same room she and Petunia had fought over the night before.

Petunia follows her gaze and splutters, 'Lily, I know that look in your eyes! Lily, you listen to me! I'm oldest, so don't you dare –,'

'Sorry, Tuney. You know me, I'm always up for a dare,' Lily grins, shoving Petunia inside the bedroom.

Petunia stumbles inside, and Lily swings the door shut, locking it. She ignores Petunia's furious yells and banging, glancing up.

The men have gotten up, surrounding Lily, grinning menacingly, guns lifted.

'Now, now, boys,' Lily raises her hands, searching out the vase. It is next to her feet. 'You wouldn't want to shoot a poor, defenceless girl, now, would you?'

The 'poor, defenceless girl' act has actually worked on some idiots, before, but Lily doubts the guys will fall for that.

James scoffs. 'If you think that's going to stop us –,'

He doesn't get to finish.

Lily dives for the vase, smashing it against the wall, hands shuffling to grab the gun. Her slender fingers close around the gun, aiming it levelly at James first. 'You tried to use my sister against me, pretty boy. My sister means a lot to me. Which means you're the first to go.'

'You're crazy!' Sirius splutters.

Remus bites his lip. 'Sirius is correct. Four against one, Miss ...?'

'Evans.' Lily says shortly, mind calculating furiously. What _is_ she going to do?

'I didn't mean _that_,' Sirius waves a hand. 'She thinks Prongs' a pretty boy!'

Lily raises an eyebrow, although she doesn't lower the gun. 'Is he insane?'

Remus rubs his forehead tiredly. 'Believe me, we've been asking the same question for years.'

Pursing her lips, Lily tightens her grip on the gun, glaring at James. 'Why are you here? Why've you been targeting me?'

James hesitates.

'Answer me!'

There is only one word. One word that confirms all of Lily's suspicions.

'Mors.'

Lily lets out a sigh of recognition and James doesn't miss it. 'You've heard of him?'

Lips curling in disgust, Lily nods. 'Oh, I've heard of him, alright.'

'Well, you've annoyed him in some way and he's hired us to take you out,' Sirius continues, sincerely. 'Shame, really. I was just beginning to like you.'

James stiffens very slightly. Lily arches an eyebrow at him, biting her lip. Petunia's banging is getting really annoying.

'Lily Evans! You will let me out of this room right this instant! Or, so help me God, I will confiscate all your guns! I – I'll ban you from leaving the house! Lily!'

James stares at the door. 'Feistier than you, isn't she?'

'You have no idea,' Lily lets out a warm laugh and is surprised when James laughs with her. Their eyes lock and Lily suddenly feels a shiver rush through her body.

She breaks the gaze, but it is too late. Sirius has surged forwards, knocking the gun out of her hands, and Peter has caught the gun, allowing Remus to take hold of Lily's arms.

Sirius gives Lily a smile. 'Really hate to do this to you –,'

'My sister!' Lily interrupts.

'The annoying one?' Sirius asks, glancing at the door.

'I am _not_ annoying! What is going on out there? Lily, I heard –,'

'Don't go after her,' Lily pleads. 'Please.'

Sirius doesn't answer.

'I'll take care of this one,' James mutters, before delivering a swift punch to Lily's head.

Lily closes her eyes, heart thumping wildly with worry, before surrendering herself to the darkness...

.

.

James lets out a little sigh, as Lily falls forward, red hair fluttering, onto him. He catches her easily, swinging her legs up, allowing her to rest on his chest.

'Lily? Lily Evans, you let me out _right now_ –,'

'Sorry, Tuney, but your sister's – a little busy, at the moment,' Sirius calls, helping up Remus who rubs his head tiredly.

'A little busy?! You tell her that she's got to let me out right now, or I'm taking away her favourite gun! Wait a minute ... I'm socializing with the enemy!'

'Not a crime, Tuney!' Sirius grins. 'So ... about your sister; what's up with her and Mors?'

'I am certainly not telling you, you good-for-nothing rogue! And it's _Petunia_!''

'Rogue?' Sirius looks confused.

'It means villain, Sirius,' Remus tells him.

'I know what it means!' Sirius snaps, although he sounds unconvincing.

'Where's my sister?!'

'Otherwise detained,' James puts in, grinning.

Petunia seems to panic even further. 'What do you mean, otherwise detained?! Lily, are you there? Can you hear me?' her voice becomes concerned, the sharp tone instantly gone.

'Petunia, we will not hurt you,' Remus says in his calm voice that he uses to interrogate people.

_'Where's Lily? What have you done with my sister?'_

Peter frowns. 'This wasn't part of the plan,' he whispers, ignoring Petunia.

'We want information, Wormtail,' Sirius mutters back to him.

'Yeah, right! As if you're not going to kill me as soon as I get outside this door! Well, believe it or not, but I have learnt _a few_ things from Lily!'

Lily gives a little snuffle of scepticism in her sleep, as if she can hear her sister. James lets out a bark of laughter.

'Looks like Lily doesn't agree,' Sirius tells Petunia, grinning wildly.

'She's – so – so _Lily_!' Petunia protests.

'Lily and Petunia ... were your parents' gardeners, or something?' James snorts.

'No, they weren't!' Petunia shoots at him.

'Petunia, we're going to have to come to some sort of agreement, here...' Remus begins.

'I agree. Let Lily and me go, and I'll _try_ to stop her from killing you. How's that?'

'Remarkably unfair,' Remus replies.

'Seems pretty fair to me.'

'Well, it would, wouldn't it?' Sirius shoots, rolling his eyes.

James speaks up, looking at his watch. 'We're wasting time,' he says impatiently.

'Calm down, Prongs,' Sirius laughs. 'You're the one holding her – enjoy it, will you?'

_'Urgh!_' Petunia exclaims, disgustedly. She suddenly lets out a gasp. 'Did you knock her out? Because I swear if you did, I will hunt you down –,'

'You know what?' Sirius interrupts. 'I'm not in the mood to listen to an overprotective sister ranting about the target ... can we just go?'

'The plane's ready,' Peter says, before the Marauders can stop him.

Remus, Sirius, and James let out an exasperated sigh.

Right on cue, Petunia begins screaming.

_'The plane? Plane? Where are you taking her, you freaks? I will hunt you down and I will shoot you all! Don't think that I won't because I will!'_

Before she has even begun getting to the good bits, the Marauders slip out of the hotel, taking Lily with them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.**

.

Lily is annoyed, to say the least. She is in a plane. Tied up. Handcuffed. Around a sofa. Heading for America. Where Arctus Mors is waiting.

Which she has no intention of doing.

The Marauders have assured her that Petunia is fine. Something about them convinces her and she has calmed down. But now she is feeling extremely embarrassed.

Stop being ridiculous, she thinks furiously. She can't believe how embarrassed she was feeling. But there is nothing for it.

Clearing her throat, Lily opens her mouth to speak. But before she can say anything, Remus enters, throwing himself down on the sofa.

'I put the plane on autopilot,' he assures the others. 'I think I'm going to read,' he picks up a book, looking content.

Sirius gapes at him. 'You are so dull, Moony.'

'At least he _has_ a brain, Padfoot,' Peter retorts, grinning.

Lily watches, with amusement, as Sirius's face goes bright red. But before Black can reply, she interrupts quickly, 'I need to go to the bathroom!'

Too late, she realises her voice is very loud and very clear. Crimson floods into her cheeks and as Lily glances at her captors hesitantly, she realises they are also blushing.

'Wormtail'll do the honours, won't you, Wormtail?' Sirius says finally, cheeks red.

'Do the _honours_?' Peter splutters. 'I'm sure Padfoot would be more than happy to accompany –,'

'What about you, Moony?' Sirius demands quickly.

'I'm, er – my book! You're not going to keep me from my studies, are you?' Remus asks hastily. 'I have a big exam soon.'

Peter frowns. 'But you passed all your exams with flying colours, Moony...'

'Ssh!' Remus hisses.

Then all three men brighten, glancing towards the fourth best friend happily.

'PRONGS!'

Now even more amused than ever, Lily turns her face to see the sharp, handsome man who is gazing dreamily out of the plane window. He jumps, startled.

'What?' James asks.

'Brilliant, mate,' Sirius shakes James's hand solemnly. 'Well done for volunteering.'

Peter stands up, moving towards the captain's cabin. 'I'll go check on the plane.'

'Volunteering for what?' James looks bewildered, eyes flashing confusion.

Lily almost feels sorry for him. Almost, she thinks, remembering how he was the one to grab Petunia. She gets up by herself, with difficulty, using the sofa as a lift.

'To accompany our, er ... guest to the bathroom, of course,' Sirius says brightly. His face becomes even more cheerful as James gapes at him.

'You're joking,' James goes bright red, glancing at Lily. 'Tell me you're joking, _please_.'

'Nope,' Sirius shakes his head, grinning. He pulls James up, pushed him towards Lily and says cheerily, 'Off you go, mate!'

James catches hold of Lily's handcuffs and tugs her gently towards the bathroom. 'Well, er – here you are. I – hope you find everything to your, er – satisfaction.'

In the main cabin, they can both hear Sirius's loud snorts. James and Lily both flush this time.

'If I'm dull,' they can hear Remus say. 'Then you're immature.'

'I'm not immature!' Sirius exclaim, indignantly.

'Then I'm not dull.'

'Yes, you are. You read books for fun –,'

'You laugh if someone even _says_ the word toilet. See, you're laughing now!'

'I'm _smiling_! There's a difference!'

'Just ignore them,' James murmurs to Lily. He continues, his voice becoming gentler, his face softening. 'I – I'm going to – wait outside, you know, because – because I have to. Not that I would want to! I mean, why would I want to? That's just –,' James goes bright red and continues tumbling over his words, 'Anyway, I – I've got to, you know, guard you and – and stuff. If – if you need anything, just – just ask – you know, I think you'll find anything – anything you need in the bathroom. So, er, I – I'll just be – be here, okay?'

'Okay,' Lily nods, pressing her lips together to stop herself laughing. Poor James looks distraught. The Marauders are quite funny, she thinks as she, with difficulty, locks the bathroom door.

Handcuffs are … _annoying_.

Instantly, Lily shoots to the shower, turning it on, making as much noise as possible. She fumbles for the hair grip in her hair, emitting an annoyed groan as it clatters to the floor. Lily groans inwardly as she realises it was one of Petunia's.

Complete with flowers and glitter.

'It's a hairgrip, for God's sake!' Lily mutters as she picks the handcuff locks furiously. 'Not bloody Fairyland!'

'Are – are you having a _shower_?' James sounds incredulous.

Blushing hard, Lily opens her mouth and then closes it. She splutters, 'Uh – I – _no_!'

The handcuffs fall to the floor with a small clatter.

'What was that?' James asks, instantly.

'Uh – I dropped something!'

Never had Lily been more grateful to have Sirius Black butting in.

She hears him say, 'Well, well, taking long, isn't she?'

All gratitude for Sirius instantly vanishes.

'Padfoot, keep your voice down! She could hear you!' James hisses.

'His great-grandmother could probably hear him!' Peter calls.

'My great-grandmother's dead,' Sirius says, sounding confused.

'Exactly.' Peter sounds muffled, but then again, they all do

Lily frowns. Hard as it may be to admit, she doesn't want to hurt the Marauders. Neither does she want to alert Mors to the fact that she could fight. He could become even more cautious and surprise is the key element.

Sighing, Lily picks up a small bucket. She has no idea what it is doing in the bathroom, neither does she care. The edge fits snugly into her hand, reminding her of her gun. Instantly, she unlocks the door and thrusts it open.

'You took your –,'

Sirius crumbles against the wall and Lily gives an apologetic smile at James. 'Sorry, pretty boy.'

She bashes him over the head. 'But I _really_ don't want a reunion with Mors.'

.

.

'You boys must eat so much ...' Lily grumbles as she drags James and Sirius to the main cabin.

Remus jumps up, eyes raking over Lily and the guys, fumbling for a gun, mouth opening, at the same time, to, no doubt, call Peter. But Lily gets there first and Remus falls forwards, unconscious.

She laughs slightly at the bucket. 'You're pretty awesome, aren't you?'

Peter has obviously heard the loud commotion and he comes out, worry etching his face. 'Are you guys alright? Padfoot, if you're trying to trick –,'

'No trick,' Lily says, before banging the bucket over his head.

.

.

Within a few minutes, Lily has tied up the Marauders, dumping them near the sofas. She'd hesitated when it came to James, a slight shard of guilt piercing her heart. Something about the way James' hair fell into his eyes was _adorable_...

'Get a grip, Lily,' she mutters to herself, turning away.

Lily opens the door to the captain's cabin and seats herself tentatively. 'Well!' she says, bracingly. 'Can't be much harder than driving a car.'

She ignores the Petunia-like voice that was listing exactly _how_ many cars they had bought, after Lily had obtained her driver's licence.

'Lily?' a groggy voice mumbles.

'Yeah?' Lily calls back. 'Oh my god, I'm going to get us all killed...'

'What are you doing?'

Lily turns back. It is James. He struggles with his bonds, but Lily merely grins. He'll never be able to get them off.

'Flying the plane.'

'Do you know how?'

'…No.'


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognise.**

.

'Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,' Lily flicks a switch and flicks it back, as the plane dips dangerously. 'We're all going to die! I'm going to kill us all!'

'We're not going to die, if you just hand over the controls to me.' James sounds unbelievably calm.

'Yeah and let you take me to America.' Lily shoots at him. 'It may have escaped your notice, pretty boy, but I have no intentions of going there. I'm going home.'

'My name is James.'

'Nobody asked you what your name is, pretty boy.'

'How will you get to England?' James asks, a smile twisting his lips. 'When you have no knowledge of planes?'

'I have no knowledge of cars, either,' Lily mimicks him. 'But that doesn't stop me from driving them.'

She drifts her fingers over a button and James notices.

'Don't press that button,' he calls.

'And why not?'

'Because if you press it, then the whole plane detonates and we all die.'

Lily moves her finger away.

James smirks. 'I thought so.'

'Stop being cocky, pretty boy, or I'll knock you out.' Lily warns.

'Why do you keep calling me pretty boy?' James asks. 'And what business do you have with Mors?'

'For your first question, I don't bother calling cocky gits by their names. They don't deserve that kind of respect from me. And for your second ... well, let's just say it's not … _business_.' Lily smiles grimly.

There is a small moan and Lily glances back, rolling her eyes. Sirius has woken up. He groans loudly and looks around.

'James ... why's the redhead at the controls?' he asks, calmly.

Are all the Marauders as calm as this?

James answers, 'Because the redhead thinks she can turn the plane back to England, even though she doesn't know how to fly a plane.'

'The redhead has a name and she wants you to address her by that, because if you don't, she'll knock you into next week and leave you in a ditch.' Lily grimaces. 'Understand?'

'The redhead's scary,' Sirius whispers, mockingly.

'The redhead has awesome hearing, so why don't you just shut up?'

'The redhead can't keep promises –,' Sirius begins, but he doesn't get very far.

Lily thrusts herself into the room and she says menacingly, darkly, 'Don't you _dare_ lecture me about promises! I promised my sister I'd _always_ be there for her and because of you gits; I'm stuck in a plane that's being sent to America, and I have no way to get back to her! I have no idea what's happened, where she is, how she is!'

Suddenly the plane tilts dangerously, and Lily manages to stay balanced, unlike the Marauders. They tumbles into a sofa, waking up Peter and Remus, violently.

'What's going on?' Remus mumbles tiredly.

There is a loud, grating noise and Lily hears the rough tumble of items falling to the floor, as the plane tips again. Lily forces herself to stay calm as she turns to James and demands, 'Tell me what to do! Tell me how to get us all back to England!'

James speaks fast. 'There's the autopilot button. Use that.'

Running into the cabin, Lily glances around for the autopilot button. She slams an angry fist against the chair as she realises it is smashed to bits, because of a heavy first aid box that has landed on it.

'James, the autopilot button's not going to work,' she says quickly, as she disentangles the Marauders. 'Where are the parachutes?'

James, free, gets up and says, 'I'll go get them. You untie the others.'

She nods and works fast, fingers fumbling to get rid of the knots. The plane slopes yet again and as Sirius gets out, he almost falls, holding onto the sofa for support. He looks slightly sheepish as he apologises. 'I'm sorry.'

'What?' Lily mumbles, not listening, as she rips off the ropes.

'Lily, I'm sorry. I didn't – realise that you were a little ... sensitive about promises.'

'Oh. Well, apology accepted,' Lily says awkwardly. She's never had to accept apologies from anyone. 'And, uh, I shouldn't have overreacted.'

'Or hit me with a bucket.'

'No, that was necessary.'

With one final tug, Lily pulls Remus and Peter to their feet and drags the plane door open, her hair flying in the wind. The plane leans to the side, letting out a grating whine.

'James? Where are you?' Lily calls, heart pounding.

Where _was_ he?

'Over here,' James brings over four parachutes. He licks his lips, nervously. 'There are only four parachutes. I couldn't find a fifth.'

Lily feels as though she is falling. 'What?'

He doesn't have to repeat it, but he looks at her seriously. 'You guys take it.'

Now, Lily is furious. '_What_?'

James breaks eye contact with her. 'I'll stay behind.'

The plane gives another rumble and everyone fights to grab something to stay balanced.

'No!' Lily says angrily. 'Stop acting all sacrificial! You're not going to stay behind! If anyone has to stay behind, then it's got to be Sirius!'

Sirius gapes at her. 'What?'

'I'm joking,' Lily says, smiling humourlessly, trying to inject a bit of humour in the situation. '_I'll_ stay behind.'

'_Don't._ _You._ _Dare_.' James says sharply.

'I'd like to see you stop me,' Lily looks back at him, chin thrust up strongly.

The wind roars furiously, whipping Lily's hair away from her face and the plane lets out another whine.

James glares at her. 'Wear the parachute.'

'No.'

'Wear it!'

'Make me.'

The childish order falls from her lips, before she can stop herself, but James is looking angry.

'Fine.'

That is unexpected. James literally tries to drag the parachute onto Lily, but she deflects his efforts, tugging the parachute on him. He ends up wearing the parachute instead of her.

'Lily!' James tries to pull the parachute off.

'I'm the one who got you into this in the first place,' Lily insists. 'It's my fault.'

The plane lowers slightly, turning abruptly, making Lily fall. She tries to stop herself before she falls into James' chest, but she can't manage it. His chest is warm and strong, making Lily feel safer than she's felt in ages – which is completely ironic, considering the situation. Lily cuts herself off, pulling herself away. James grips her arms tightly, stopping her.

Lily gives a sad smile. 'Do me a favour. Find Petunia. Tell her – tell her I loved her.'

He opens his mouth to say something, but Sirius interrupts.

'I've got it!'

'What?' James asks impatiently, as the plane lets out a grinding rumble. He can't fail to notice how Lily shakes slightly.

'Why don't you just go with her?' Sirius says, as if it is obvious, which it kind of is. 'Hold her with you.'

'I'll only drag you down,' Lily protests, but James is nodding, eyes brightening as he presses her against his chest.

'Come on, redhead,' James murmurs, as Peter jumps.

'I told you not to call me redhead, pretty boy,' Lily says, but she can't help smiling, as Remus leaps.

'And I told you not to call me pretty boy, redhead,' James grips her tighter, as Sirius bounds.

They both jump into the air, two merging as one, holding onto each other for dear life.

.

.

It isn't until later that James realises that she _hadn't_ called him pretty boy. Before, anyway.


End file.
